Lynch 20th Anniv Kamikaze

I know that Kamikazes are great guitars -better than you'd think given all that maple.

This 20th anniversary is still out there in some places. I imagine because most people think "it's just a dolled up regular Kamikaze - can't really be THAT much better."

But I have an ESP MX-2 that was sent to me directly by the custom shop, and the custom shop was really trying to please me for a reason I can't discuss. They sent me this MX-2 that is just unfreakingbelievable. It's probably the best of my 20 guitars (which include Gibson Custom Shop, Fender Custom Shop, and other custom shop guitars, including two other CS ESPs, and 2 Navigators), and it's better than the other MX-2 I owned by a large margin. The tone is just unreal.

So I have it in my head that when the custom shop really wants to build something great, they can build the best guitars on earth. And I figure with the Lynch Kamikaze, they put in some extra effort.

But I have an ESP MX-2 that was sent to me directly by the custom shop, and the custom shop was really trying to please me for a reason I can't discuss.

You have to be a very important ESP customer to receive your guitar straight from the custom shop factory... and be pleased by the workers...

MX are factory built... Factories don't send guitars straight to the customers...
Also they don't pleased any customer, as they don't know for who they build a guitar, especially a basic production model like the MX.......

Very important customer... As even the artists don't get them this way...

Say hello to Shibuya sama for me 8o

Anyway... Lynch 20 are carefully wood selected and crafted. If you like the Kami modelu you should buy one.

Like I said, I can't really discuss the circumstances. I'm not a special person - it's just that there was a unique circumstance I won't discuss (and that's not repeatable by me) that resulted in my guitar coming outside the normal channels, and at greater cost, in a hardshell case for extra protection, etc. I'm not saying it was built for me, but I got a special guitar direct from ESP. That's kind of beside the point though. I also have two Navigator guitars that are phenomenal guitars acquired through more standard channels, and I understand that there is another level that ESP can attain at times. Maybe it's just by accident, and when ESP wants to please someone, they just cherry pick the best from a batch.

I'm really just wonderng about the Kami and why it is so expensive. Because on looks and pickups and such, I think one reason there's always one on eBay at a big discount and it can be found at retailers still is that many people can't imagine how it can be that much better. Especially since the quality of maple as a tonewood is so consistent that it doesn't leave a lot of room for truly superlative wood vs regular wood, in most people's minds. It's just hard to figure out, on specs, why the 20th Kami should be so special. And if it's mainly just the artwork, I guess you really have to like the artwork.

I just wonder if anyone here has actually played one next to a regular Kami and can tell me a difference - lighter? beefier tone? slightly different neck profile or frets - what's the actual difference beyond cosmetics?

One thing I am relatively disappointed that it comes with a floating floyd, because his original Kami I believe did not.

It's original parts but the finish on the body was redone by Dan Lawrence quite a few years ago. In any event, I can't foresee ever wanting to rid myself of it. The neck's amazing -I've had it cloned for a custom guitar I've had done. The pickup is original too - it's a pre-lawsuit Duncan - says "The Jeff Beck Model" on the back. The body is apparently western maple.